Parent and Family Raptor Report

Early out this Wednesday, October 28

No School this Friday, October 30

Important October Dates!

October 28th Early Release @ 1:45pm

October 30th Parent Teacher Conferences-No School

Message from Ms. Murray, Rankin Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am writing to you today to address an important matter regarding our campus environment and the safety and well-being of our students.

As a gentle yet firm reminder, our school is strictly a smoke-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free campus. This policy applies to all forms of tobacco, alcohol, and controlled substances, including cigarettes, vaping devices, marijuana, Zyns/nicotine pouches, and any related products.

This expectation covers all school property (both indoors and outdoors) as well as field trips, visiting school events, and specifically during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times.

Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous phone calls, emails, and photos from concerned families and adults reporting adults using these products while waiting on school grounds to pick up their children. As a principal, my primary responsibility is to maintain a safe, healthy environment for our students.

We enforce these standards for several critical reasons:

Health and Safety: Exposure to secondhand smoke, vapor, and substances poses direct health risks. No student or community member should have to walk through smoke or vapor while entering or leaving school.
Role Modeling: Our goal is to instill healthy habits and strong values in our students. When children witness adults using prohibited substances on school grounds, it creates confusion and undermines the standards we teach daily.
Preserving Childhood: We want to keep our school a safe, positive haven where children can grow, learn, and stay young for as long as possible.

How You Can Help: If you have grandparents, babysitters, or other childcare providers who pick up your children and may not receive school communications, please share this message with them so we can ensure this expectation is understood and reinforced across our whole community.

We ask for your active cooperation in respecting these rules during the few minutes you are on campus each day. Please ensure that all substances remain off school grounds entirely.

Thank you for your partnership, understanding, and commitment to keeping our school environment safe, healthy, and welcoming for every student.

LOST & FOUND SOON BEING DONATED

Lost & Found Is OVERFLOWING! Where Do All These Clothes Come From?!

Our Lost & Found is officially bursting at the seams! I am beginning to think we could open our own little clothing store with everything that has been left behind! If your child is missing a sweatshirt, coat, water bottle, or possibly half their wardrobe, there's a good chance it's hanging out at Rankin!

PLEASE check the Lost & Found during conferences! All unclaimed items will be donated after conferences on October 30th.

As we head into colder weather, the layers are coming out, which means our Lost & Found is only going to grow! PLEASE label your child's belongings. Remember, when you buy that cute Costco coat or sweatshirt, chances are 15 other Rankin Raptors have the exact same one! Names make it so much easier to return things to their rightful owners.

And speaking of colder weather... BRRRR! I am still seeing kiddos arriving in sandals, tank tops, and without coats or sweatshirts. Montana weather is changing, and we need your help making sure kids are dressed appropriately.

We go outside for recess unless it is pouring rain or the temperature is below zero. Forgetting a coat or sweatshirt is not a reason to stay inside, and sometimes being chilly is a natural consequence of not coming prepared. Please help your child check the weather and dress for it each morning.

Let's keep our Raptors warm, their belongings labeled, and hopefully find the bottom of our Lost & Found pile before it takes over the school! 💜

Rankin Book Fair

Get Ready for the Scholastic Book Fair!

Mark your calendars for October 26–30! We are so excited for an amazing week filled with books, reading, and lots of fun!

Shopping Hours:

Monday, Oct 26: 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday, Oct 27: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM & 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday, Oct 28: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM & 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Thursday, Oct 29: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM & 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Friday, Oct 30: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Set Up Your Child’s eWallet! Be prepared and set up your child’s eWallet so they have funds ready to shop early and pick out the books they really want. An eWallet makes shopping easy, cash-free, and safe!

Feel free to share your child’s eWallet link with friends and family, too! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends can easily contribute so they can be part of the reading excitement.

Visit our Book Fair Homepage to set up eWallet and learn more: Scholastic Book Fair - Rankin Elementary

We can’t wait for a GREAT Book Fair! See you there!

To Receive School Text Messages: Stay Up to date with Rankin School Messages

Text “YES” to 79041

This will allow you to receive text messages from Rankin about school closures, early outs, and other school information as well as messages from the bus services if there are route delays.

Saving 79041 in your contact information may also be helpful so the messages don’t get blocked as spam on your phone.